Queen Latifah's talk show gets second season

Queen Latifah on the set of her talk show in Culver City. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Yvonne Villarreal

Could the second time be the charm? "The Queen Latifah Show," the freshman syndicated talker from Sony Pictures Television, has been renewed for a second season on CBS stations.

At a time when just about everyone is entering the daytime talk show arena, the offering featuring the singer-actress has managed to hold its own amid the competitive clutter. It debuted last September to a strong 1.7 rating -- putting it just behind Katie Couric's talk show (which will end its run this summer after two seasons) as the top talker entry since "Dr. Oz" in 2009. So far, it remains the No. 1 new talk show, beating out "Real Housewives" alum Bethenny Frankel.

“We are proud to have the CBS stations as our partners as we continue to build the Queen Latifah show into a franchise brand,” John Weiser, president of U.S. distribution for Sony Pictures Television, said in a statement. “We look forward to building on the success of this year’s No. 1 new talk show by delivering the highest quality program to our stations, advertisers and viewers.”

This marks Queen Latifah's second attempt as a talk-show host. Her last outing, which was distributed by Warner Bros., ran from 1999 to 2001.

"Unlike before, now it's a set intention of what I really want to do," Latifah, whose real name is Dana Owens, told The Times of her current venture. "I'm in a different place in my life. I had a lot more zipping around the globe to do back then. I'm a bit more settled now, and I've learned a lot in life that has brought me to a place where I feel more comfortable in my skin."